


Pom Poms and Votes

by Tosskah



Category: Avatar (TV), Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-06-19 01:36:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15499431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tosskah/pseuds/Tosskah
Summary: Azula runs for student body president, and is surprised to get so much support from the cheer captain.





	1. Chapter 1

“A vote for Azula is a vote for-”

The rest of the campaign poster is torn off, but down the hall is another poster with a great shot from the professional photoshoot student body presidential candidate Azula had commissioned. What do you expect from someone whose father had been mayor so long? If there’s one thing Azula knows, it’s campaigning. 

What she doesn’t know, however, is what to do with the butterflies she gets when she looks at the cheer captain. Azula’s keen political mind allowed her to crush her opponents well before candidates for student body president were announced. That same cunning mind goes blank as Ty Lee skips toward her, already in uniform for the game after school.

“Hey ‘Zula!” she greets cheerfully. Azula feels her heart accelerate dangerously at the sound of her name. “Are you nervous for the election tomorrow?”

The candidate’s mouth is suddenly dry, her face hot, but she manages to confidently reply, “Well, it’s definitely an exciting time and I’m hoping for the best.” They both know the election is a formality. There’s no one left to oppose her, but she doesn’t want to risk public approval by appearing too smug. Ty Lee’s joyful aura is not dampened by Azula’s almost formal reply.

“Of course you’re going to win! There’s no one better for this job than you!” she gushes. The candidate feels her face grow even warmer, and she’s about to accept the compliment when a student shouts down the hall. “Oh, gosh, I gotta go!” Ty Lee interjects, quickly scooping up Azula’s hand, squeezing it, and dashing off, “Bye!!”

Azula watches after her, absolutely dumbfounded. Her hand hangs in midair where the other girl left it. “Uh… bye,” she mutters to the empty hallway.  _Why is my face so hot?_  she thinks, pressing the back of her hand to her cheek to feel the coolness. Not the hand Ty Lee grabbed. The other one. She hasn’t quite regained the control in that particular hand yet.  _I can’t be getting sick. It must be the stress of the election… I’m sure I will feel better after tomorrow._

* * *

Ty Lee is captain of the cheerleading team, and that was the most Azula had really known about her until recently. In fact, it was only after she announced her intention to run that she had any interaction with the captain. They don’t really have classes together, or any reason to collaborate. So what could have inspired Ty Lee to want to connect?? Azula lies on her bed, trying to solve the riddle.  _No prior positive or negative interactions. I’ve never had anything to do with cheerleading, or sports, or really talked about either to anyone about it in depth. What does she gain from this?_  Then it clicks.  _She wants to be on the president’s good side! She’s laying groundwork to ask for favors! Of course. That’s why she’s always touching and complimenting me._  She sighs with relief. A small voice nags that it doesn’t explain Azula’s strange reactions, but she stifles it and closes her eyes. She will need to be well rested for her big day tomorrow.

* * *

Election Day at last. Azula is the picture of poise, dressed to kill and acting as humbly as only a natural politician can. There are so many congratulations to accept, even before the votes are counted. The president elect finishes murmuring her demurest ‘thank you’ for the hundredth time that day when Ty Lee bounces into view.

“Congratulations, Azula!! I knew you would win! You had the best posters, the best speeches, and the best campaign ever! You’re just the best candidate there is, and everyone can see that!” Although the cheerleader appears utterly genuine (albeit equally excited), Azula is positive she had unraveled the mystery, and is undisturbed by the wave of compliments.

“Thanks! I really appreciate your support. I’m so excited to start helping the school reach its full potential,” she seals her sound bite-worthy statement with a dazzling smile.  _There_ , she thinks with satisfaction,  _that should_   _show her_. She won’t be swayed by all those nice words! Although her heart is pounding. It must just be the thrill of victory!

“I can’t wait!” Ty Lee nods eagerly, seeing fit to lean in closely to tell her so. “I know you’re probably ready to dive right into your work, but you can’t technically start till tomorrow, sooooo…. Want to get coffee tonight, or something? To celebrate your big win?”

Azula is once again shocked into silence. “Uh,” she says vacantly, momentarily forgetting her politician’s responses. Celebrate? She hadn’t really considered it. She figured she would just go home to her empty (yet opulent) house and work on homework, maybe watch a movie before bed. Father would be tangled up in some meeting or other for hours, and it’s not like he has any idea what goes on in his daughter’s life. She’s staying out of trouble, and therefore out of mind. The gears tick slowly in her brain. Celebrating sounds nice. She has no other plans. Therefore coffee is acceptable. Ding! “Yeah, sure, that sounds good!” A delayed, yet passable reply.

The captain doesn’t seem disturbed by Azula’s inability to process the request, and immediately responds, “Here, let me put my number in your phone! We can work out the details later, ‘kay?”

Still in a haze, the student body president offers her phone, unlocked, to the other girl. A new number is entered in a flash, and the phone is returned. However, when Azula goes to take it,Ty Lee cups her hand unnecessarily to pass it back. It sends a bolt of sensation straight to Azula’s chest, one she can’t describe. “Thanks,” she hears herself say distantly, as if someone else is speaking through her mouth. 

Ty Lee giggles, as if something funny, and butterflies spring to life in the other girl’s stomach. “Catch you later, Ms. President!” she coos, laughing once more as she slips into the sea of students. 

* * *

It’s all been arranged. Azula will pick Ty Lee up at 7:00 and they can go to the coffee shop from there. Thank goodness their meeting time is later in the evening, as it takes the president elect way too long to figure out an outfit.  _What does one wear to get coffee_? Google isn’t much help. It kept giving advice for coffee  **dates** , and this isn’t a date. It’s just coffee. Obviously. She opts for black skinny jeans, sneakers, and a blood red shirt with gold bangles on her wrists. Casual, but not sloppy. Of course, Azula is never sloppy. 

She pulls up to Ty Lee’s house, and is impressed by the size of it.  Her family must be well off too. Azula revs the engine to let the girl know she’s arrived. Not a moment later, Ty Lee appears in heels, a flowing skirt, and pink top that Azula can only describe as ‘cute’.The cheerleader appears to be glittering. Her clothes are dotted with discreet pieces to catch the light, and even her skin appears to shimmer as she eases into the passenger seat. 

“Hey,” Azula manages to greet, although she was planning on saying something more articulate until her mind was wiped clean at the sight of the other girl. 

“Hey,” Ty Lee grins, looking pleased. A moment passes as they look at each other, and finally she asks, “Ready?”

“Oh! Yeah!” Azula snaps back to life, puts the car into gear, and pulls away.


	2. Interested

They arrive at the coffee shop soon enough, although Azula doesn’t have much of a memory of how they got there. Ty Lee chats away happily as they approach the counter together.

“I’ll have a black coffee, and-” the student body president motions to her companion, “whatever she would like.” Ha! There is no doubt in her mind that Ty Lee is trying to butter her up for favors, and she has already denied the cheer captain the opening gambit. By paying for Ty Lee’s drink, she has the upper hand! This knowledge encourages a small smirk on her part. It seems the cheerleader is more of a cunning strategist than had first been anticipated, as she looks delighted by the offer.

“Ummm,” Ty Lee replies, stepping hesitantly closer to the barista and mulling the menu, “Does your hot chocolate come with mini marshmallows?” The employee flashes an annoying smile and nods.

“Yep! We can even put whipped cream on it, if you want,” he says. Azula fights the urge to roll her eyes at his coy tone. Ty Lee, on the other hand, gasps with excitement and clasps her hands together.

“Oh!! Yes! That’s what I’ll have, please!!” she gushes. The student body president pays for their drinks and the pair moves further down to wait for them to be prepared. The black coffee appears instantly, and Azula savors the scalding heat seeping through the mug. She waits to take a drink, though, as it would be impolite until her companion has hers. Ty Lee leans eagerly on the counter, trying to get a peek at the barista pouring the ingredients together. The movement causes her clinging pink top to ride up just a bit, exposing a thin line of skin along her back. _Is that… glitter_? Azula peers a little harder, trying to figure out if that’s indeed what she’s seeing, or if it’s somehow refracted from whatever shimmery fabric her clothes are made of. So intense is her concentration, that when Ty Lee pulls back and adjusts her clothes, Azula startles. The cheer captain is all smiles, with her drink in hand. The sugary concoction is piled high with a cloud of whipped cream.

The teenagers find some comfortable leather armchairs to sit in. Azula takes a sip of her midnight colored coffee, relishing the heat and flavor journey from bitter to smooth. Ty Lee copies her, although her attempt leaves a fleck of whipped cream on her nose.

“You have some whipped cream, there-” Azula taps her own nose to indicate where it is. The other girl attempts to remove it with a napkin, but is unsuccessful.

“Did I get it?” she asks.

“No- it’s--” Azula gestures once more. Ty Lee’s second attempt is no more fruitful than the first. _How hard can it be?_  the president thinks to herself.

“Can you get it for me?” The request is a simple one, but Azula finds herself taken aback by it. What could the motivation be? ‘ _Now that you’ve done that for me, I have another favor to ask’_? A clever segue to turn the tables on her? Very well, she’ll play along, just to see what ploy follows it up. The girl makes short work of it, leaning forward with a napkin to wipe the small speck of cream away. Rather than some sly remark, however, Ty Lee giggles. Napkin crumpled in her hand, Azula feels her expression narrow in annoyance. What is the angle, here? Enough games!

“Alright. Tell me what it is you want. New uniforms? More practice time in the gym? What strings are you expecting me to pull?” Azula words are direct, her tone firm and precise. She pauses to take a sip of her coffee, and let the cheer captain sit in the discomfort of knowing the ruse has been dispelled. Once again, Ty Lee surprises her with a thoughtful tip of her head and another peal of laughter.

“I’m not going to talk shop on a date, silly!”

The furrow between Azula’s brows deepens as she struggles to dissect this very strange response. On a….date? A date? Ty Lee thinks this is a date?  Meaning, Ty Lee asked her to meet for coffee intending for it to be a date. The whole pretense for this meeting was not political, but… a date. With her. Words usually come so easily to her, but she can’t string together her usual smooth reply.

“Why do you look so surprised, Ms. President? I think you’re cute, and you think I’m cute.” Ty Lee shrugs and takes another delicate sip of her hot chocolate.

“I don’t think you’re cute!” This response is easier, and it flies out so quickly that it sounds defensive.

“You haven’t been able to take your eyes off me this whole time. You think I’m cute. And now you’re blushing.” It’s Ty Lee’s turn to sound matter of fact. She places her mug on the table and fixes Azula with a curious look.

Azula splutters, and brings a hand to her cheek, which does feel warm to the touch. Surely it’s just the coffee warming her, or the surprise over her companion’s choice of tactics. Everyone wants something from her, but it’s because she has always been in a position where she could get things other people couldn’t. She _knows_ Ty Lee is just cozying up to better some aspect of the cheerleading squad…. So why would she dodge the direct route to success and say this was a date? It doesn’t make any sense!

"If this isn't about favours, why didn't you ask me out before I started running for president?" Azula counters smugly. Ty Lee shrugs again, looking a little bashful.  
  
"You were always so intimidating and focused." Azula takes this compliment with a demure nod. "I had hoped you might notice me first and ask me, but I finally just... worked up the courage to ask you myself, and you said yes!" This piece is punctuated with a wide smile. Ty Lee seems to be absolutely glowing.   
  
It's still not adding up. The cheerleader is notoriously flirty. Plenty of people have crushes on her, and have asked her out. Most of them have been politely turned down with some variation of "Gosh, that's so sweet of you! But I think we are better off as friends, okay?" She could have dated just about anyone in the school at a moment's notice, but she.... worked up the courage to ask her??   
  
"I was so nervous!" Ty Lee continues, pulling Azula from her confusion. "As far as I could tell, you haven't really dated anyone. I wasn't sure if you were interested in going on dates at all!" She pauses, anxiously nibbling at her lip as she thinks. If she's acting, Azula thinks, she's damn good at it. Ty Lee picks up her cup once more, takes a drink, and clears her throat in the silence that Azula has seen fit to stretch out.   
  
"Have you? Been on many dates, I mean?" She asks, taking another sip. Azula studies her and takes a drink of her own.   
  
"Not really. There was always something more important to do. And no one at school really interests me," she replies, voice cool. She refuses to be pulled into whatever game Ty Lee is trying to play! "You've been on lots of dates, right?" Another dig, proving she isn't swayed.   
  
The remark proves effective as the cheer leader's expression sinks. She takes a moment to compose herself, and when she meets Azula's gaze again, there's a fierceness in it that she has never seen before.   
  
"Look, I know it might be hard for you to accept that I really do like you for you, but I do. I'm not trying to get anything out of this, other than getting to know you. You're pretty and smart and fearless and I just thought.... anyway, if you're not interested, you don't have to be mean. But I think you are interested!”

Azula, instinctively, wants to deny these allegations. And yet... some parts do seem to hold some truth. She was blushing earlier, and it's been hard to notice anyone else when Ty Lee is around-- does that mean she has a crush on her, though? It's surreal to even consider. Even if she doesn't, though, she has to admit she is intrigued. Many people have tried to get on her good side, or earn favors in some way, but none have tried this particular tactic before.   
  
"I might be interested," she concedes, letting her eyes do the smiling while she takes another sip.

 


	3. A Worthy Challenge

Small talk is slow and halting at first, but soon enough Ty Lee is giggling and Azula feels herself relax. _This is actually... Nice_ , she thinks, surprised.   
  
No sooner has the thought settled than her companion says, "Wow! It's getting pretty late, I hadn't realized. Do you think you _might be interested_ in driving me home, too?" Azula can't suppress a small smile. It's a good joke, and she is surprised that the teasing doesn't cause a flare of outrage. The pair make their way to the door and both are surprised with how cool the night has become. They scurry to the car and Azula is quick to turn the heat up.   
  
"I hate the cold," she growls, without realizing Ty Lee can hear her.   
  
"Me too!" The cheer captain's response is enthusiastic.   
  
"Once we get driving, it will warm up more quickly," Azula explains, turning her head to back the car out. She puts her hand on the passenger seat, realizing with a jolt that she is inadvertently very close to touching her, uh, date.   
  
Ty Lee doesn't seem disturbed by the proximity and prompts, "Everything okay, 'Zula?" The voice snaps her back to reality and she clears her throat and nods as she finally gets the car out of the parking spot. She tries to pretend the heat on her cheeks is from the car's vents.   
  
The drive back to Ty Lee's place seems to only take a minute, and Azula realizes she is a little disappointed to say goodbye so soon.   
  
"Well, Ms.President," the cheerleader says, unbuckling her seatbelt, "I had a pretty good time on our date tonight."   
  
_Isn't this the part on the date when people usually kiss?_ Azula thinks, and feels nervousness well up. In her preparation for what she thought was a political meeting, she had not prepared for this.   
  
"I had a good time too," she manages, although her voice has a small quaver.   
  
"See you at school tomorrow!" Ty Lee replies brightly, sliding smoothly out of her seat and flashing a smile before closing the door behind her.   
  
Azula sits, stunned, her hands grasping the wheel. Does no kiss mean the date was a failure? Does she even want to kiss Ty Lee?? These thoughts swim anxiously in her mind for a few moments without an answer. She puts the car into gear and heads home.   
  
Although she normally keeps a strict schedule, tonight she stays up late poring through Google results, trying to find out more about how to tell if your first date was a success. The answers calm her, if only a little. It seems a kiss is not absolutely required, and, she reasons, does it really count as a first date if she didn't know it was a date beforehand? Surely not. She can have another shot at a first date, if she wants. Not being absolutely certain of her wants is a foreign feeling, and one she deeply dislikes. Azula resolves to make a pros and cons list.   
  
**Pros:**   
_She's cute_   
_Funny_   
_Not intimidated by me_   
Has a cute laugh   
  
**Cons:**

 

  
  
Azula stares at her paper for a long while. Finally, she scrawls:   
  
_I don't know how to date_   
It would be embarrassing if we broke up   
  
Hmmm. Even those points aren't even really about Ty Lee.  She crosses each of them out with a surgical line. Underneath, she adds:

  
  
_Could be an elaborate power play_

  
  
This could all be a ruse just to get close to her in order to gain leverage over her. However, the idea thrills her so much, she almost adds it to the Pro column. She hasn't met anyone that can challenge her yet, and the idea that this "dating" is an excuse to try and bring her down is so brilliant that she feels a small spark of anger for not thinking of it herself.

  
Azula sets down her list and sighs contentedly. Finally, a worthy challenge!


End file.
